We are living a fast-paced lifestyle that\u2019s technology driven, and everything needs to be done yesterday \u2013 convenience is the way to go, but our health is suffering as a result. Fast food outlets are everywhere- deliveries made easy and special promotions seal the deal. Colourful packaging and popular animated figurines make it harder for kids to resist. We all know fast foods are not the best option, but why?<\/p>\n
Portions<\/strong><\/p>\n Upgrading a medium meal to a large or supersize one is seen as getting more bang for your buck and almost feels compulsory in this financial state we find ourselves in. Portion distortion jumps to mind! We are consuming a lot more food and calories than we need to and these larger portions are becoming the norm.<\/p>\n Convenience<\/strong><\/p>\n Special promotions are making it more affordable and healthy eating is being labelled as expensive. Apps and delivery services make it easily accessible and so convenient but this holds detrimental consequences for our health. The fact is that fast foods are designed to make mass production easy, cost-effective and a big emphasis is placed on the speed of the service. This habit leads to the consumption of less nutritious meals and weight gain in the long run. This type of diet also contributes to lifestyle diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, stroke and heart disease.<\/p>\n Sugar, salt and fats<\/strong><\/p>\n Fast foods are normally highly processed and contain lots of sugar, refined carbohydrates, salt and unhealthy fats. Again, empty calories that have little nutritious value. The refined carbohydrates and sugar cause blood sugar levels to spike frequently and may alter the body\u2019s natural insulin response \u2013 that can cause insulin resistance or even type 2 diabetes. The high sugar content can cause dental cavities as the acids produced from the sugars weaken tooth enamel. High salt (sodium) intake can cause headaches, high blood pressure and water retention leading to bloating or swelling. The unhealthy fat (trans fats or trans fatty acids) found in fast foods increases the bad cholesterol (LDL). High blood pressure and increased cholesterol levels are big risk factors for heart disease and stroke.<\/p>\n One can make simple changes and better choices to limit the calories consumed when ordering fast foods, because let\u2019s face it life does happen.<\/p>\n We are living a fast-paced lifestyle that\u2019s technology driven, and everything needs to be done yesterday \u2013 convenience is the way to go, but our health is suffering as a result. Fast food outlets are everywhere- deliveries made easy and special promotions seal the deal. Colourful packaging and popular animated figurines make it harder for kids to resist. We all know fast foods are not the best option, but why? Portions Upgrading a medium meal to a large or supersize one is seen as getting more bang for your buck and almost feels compulsory in this financial state we find ourselves in. Portion distortion jumps to mind! We are consuming a lot more food and calories than we need to and these larger portions are becoming the norm. Convenience Special promotions are making it more affordable and healthy eating is being labelled as expensive. Apps and delivery services make it easily accessible and so convenient but this holds detrimental consequences for our health. The fact is that fast foods are designed to make mass production easy, cost-effective and a big emphasis is placed on the speed of the service. This habit leads to the consumption of less nutritious meals and […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":39295,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[41],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5244","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health"],"yoast_head":"\n\n